Steam-engine valve-gear.



No. 643,439. Patented Feb. l3,` |900. J. L. ZEIGLER.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE GEAR.

(Application med sept. so, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

N0. 643,439. Patented Feb. I3, |900. J. L. ZEIGLER.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE GEAR.

(Application filed Sept. 30, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

TH: Nunms crans co, Pncnaumo., wAsHxNcToN, n. c

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

JOHN L. ZEIGLER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,439, dated February 13, 1900.

Application fled September 30, 1899. Serial No. '732 ,153. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ZEIGLER, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-En gine Valve- Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of valve-gear for steam-engines generally known as Corliss engines.

One of its objects is to provide a more reliable and certain mechanism for opening and' closing the inlet and exhaust ports of the cylinder.

Another object is to provide a more simple and inexpensive valve-gear.

Another object is to provide a valve-operating mechanism fcapable of being operated at high speeds.

My invention consists, further,in certain detail arrangements and combinations, all of which will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings,form ing a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of an engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar enlarged view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of Fig. 2, partly in section. Fig. eiis an enlarged detail view of a portion of the valve-gear. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the air-inlet valve.

A represents the cylinder of the engine, A the main crank-shaft, and B an eccentric driving the valve-gear through the rod B', the rocker-arm C, and rod l), which engages a pin d on the tumbler E and reciprocates the same backward and forward, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

F F" represent the stems of the inlet-valves, which project out from the cylinder and are journaled in brackets f.

G G represent crank-arms keyed to the outer ends of the valve-stems F F To one end of these crank-arms are pivoted connecting-rods da', carrying at their lower ends the dash-pot plungers H H', which are of the form usually employed on Oorliss engines, having the vacuum-chamber at the lower end, and a secondary annular chamber b, serving as a pneumatic cushion when the plunger is released.

'I l represent the stemsof the exhaustvalves, which are likewise journaled in brackets f.

.T J represent bell-crank levers keyed to the valve-stems I l'. To one end of each of these bell-crank levers is pivoted a link K, the opposite end of which is pivoted to the tumbler E.

L L represent cylinders open at both ends.

M M represent links pivoted at one end to levers J J and at the other end to plungers N N', reciprocating in the lower portion of the cylinders L L', respectively.

O O represent plungers adapted to reciprocate,respectively, in the upper portion of the cylinders L L.

P P represent links connecting the plungers O O to the crank-arms G Gr'.

The plungers O O are each provided with an upwardly-projecting tube c, provided at its upper end with a valve c, adapted to be tripped by the arm h to admit air between the plungers N O or N O. The rear end of the valve e is provided with a-spring 2, adapted to return it to its seat after it has been tripped.

3 represents a catch on the rear end of the stem of valve c, adapted to engage a lng 4. on the leaf-spring 5 to hold the valve e open after it has been tripped by the arm h, and 6 represents a stop or trip arm secured to the cylinder L, which engages the spring 5 when the plunger O is elevated to disengage the lug 4 and return the valve e to its seat. Located in each of the plungers N N is an airvalve 7, arranged to permit the escape of the air from between the plungers N O. The arms h are preferably of light spring metal andare secured to sleeves Q Q', loosely journaled upon the valve-stems F F'.

g q represent crank-arms projecting out from the sleeves Q Q and connected by means of the rods R R with the rocker-arm 8, which is controlled by the governor S to move the arms h to or from the ends of the valves e, and thereby regulate the speed of the engine. 9 represents the steam-inlet and 10 the steamexhaust pipe. The arms h may be of the form shown in Fig. 2, or they may be provided with adjustable face-plates 1l, as shown in Fig. 4.

TheA mode of operation is as follows, to wit:

IOO

Steam is let in through the inlet-valve upon the face of valves F F. One of the valves F is then turned by hand to let the steam through onto one end of the piston, which starts the engine in motion, including the main crank-shaft, the parts B C D, and tumbler E, and through the tumbler E the exhaust-valves. The act ot reciprocating the exhaust-valves also reciprocates the plungers N N. As the plunger-say N-approaches the plunger O the air between the two plungers is expelled through the valve 7 until the faces of the two plungers are close to each other, whereupon the plunger N starts on its return movement, thus creating a vacuum between the plungers N O, and thereby drawing the plunger O after the plunger N against the reverse exertions of the dash-pot plunger II, and thereby opening the valve F to admit steam on the opposite end of the engine-piston. The plunger N continues to descend and the plunger O to follow until the valve c is tripped and opened by striking the arm 7L, which maybe sooner or later, depending upon the governor and its control over the arms h. \Vith the opening of the valve e the vacuum between the plungers N O is destroyed and the plunger H quickly pulls the plunger O up to its highest point and at the same time closes the valve F, cutting off the steam-supply, leaving the engine to complete its stroke, using the steam expansively. The lug 4 holds the valve e open until the plunger O reaches its highest point, when the trip 6 releases the valve e and it springs to its seat again. The plunger N continues its full downward movement and upon its return again engages the plunger O, as before described, and carries it down a portion of its travel. The plungers N O operate in like manner to open and close the valve F' at the opposite end of the cylinder.

I preferably provide a series of petcocks l2, tapping the wall of the cylinders L L', as shown in Fig. 4, any one or all of which may be opened after the engine has been started and which serve to ultimately admit air between the plungers N O in case the valves c should from any cause fail to trip. They also assist ordinarily in quickly admitting the requisite quantity of air between the plungers.

I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form of valve mechanism for admitting air between the plungers N O, as this mechanism may be variously modified and still produce the same result.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a valve-gear for steam-engines, the independent inlet and'exhaust valves located respectively at opposite ends of the enginecylinder; intermediate mechanism reciprocating said exhaust-valves in regular time movements with the main crank-shaft; plungers reciprocating in open cylinders in unison with said respective exhaust-valves; plungers connected respectively to the crank-arm of and adapted to rotate the inlet-valves; said plungers seating respectivclyin the same cylinders with the exhaust-valve plungers; dash-pot pistons connected to the opposite ends of said crank-arms and adapted to normally hold the inlet-valves closed and valve mechanism adapted to be automatically tripped to admit air between said plungers, substantially as specified.

2. In a valve-gear for steam-engines, independent inlet and exhaust valves located respectively in pairs at opposite ends of the steam-cylinder; crank-arms on the exhaustvalve stems reciprocated in appropriate time movements from the main crank-shaft; plungers connected respectively to the crank-arms of the exhaust-valves and reciprocating in unison therewith in open cylinders; plungers connected respectively to crank-arms on the stems of the inlet-valves and seating respectively in the opposite end of said open cylinders; dash-pot pistons connected to the opposite end of the crank-arms on the inlet-valves; valves controlling the admission and exit of air from between the plungers in Said open cylinder; and a governor-controlled trip for admitting air between said plungers, substantially as specified.

3. In a valve-gear for steam-engines, independent inlet and exhaust valves located respectively in pairs at opposite ends of the steam-cylinder; crank-arms on the exhaustvalve stems reciprocated in appropriate time movements from the main crank-shaft; plungers connected respectively to the crank-arms of the exhaust-valves and reciprocating in unison therewith in open cylinders; plungers connected respectively to crank-arms on the stems of the inlet-valves and seating respectively iu the opposite end of said open cylinders; dash-pot pistons connected to the opposite end of the crank-arms on the inlet-valves; valves controlling the admission and exit of air from between the plungers in said open cylinder, substantially as specitied.

4. In a valve-gear for stealn-engines, the combination of an exhaust-valve driven in regular time movements with the piston of the engine; a plunger reciprocated in unison with said exhaust-valve in an open cylinder; a second plunger also seated in said open cylinder and connected to a crank-arm on the inlet-valve; a dash-pot plunger connected to said inlet-valve and adapted to hold the same normally closed; a valve carried by said second plunger; an arm controlled by the governor adapted to trip said valve and admit air to said open cylinder between the plungers; a catch to hold said valve open during the return stroke of said second plunger; and a stationary trip to release said catch and return the valve to its seat, substantially as specified.

5. In a valve-gear for steam-engines, the combination of an exhaust-valve driven in regular time movements with the piston of IIO the engine; a plunger reciprocated in unison with said exhaust-valve in an open cylinder; a second plunger also seated in said open cylinder and connected to a crank-arm on the inlet-valve; a dash-pot plunger connected to said inlet-valve and adapted to hold the same Valve regularly opened and closed with each I revolution of the main crank-shaft; a piston reciprocating in an open cylinder in unison with said exhaust-valve; an inlet-Valve normally held closed by means of a dash-pot or its equivalent; a piston also connected to said inlet-valve and seating in said open cylinder and means substantially as described for alternately admitting and voiding-air from said open cylinder between said pistons, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN L. ZEIGLER. Witnesses:

C. W. MILES, OLIVER B. KAISER. 

